more than a supply drive:using event fundraising to put your mission into action
DESCRIPTION
Presented at the Kids In Need Foundation Summit on June 24, 2011 by Jeff Shuck, President and CEO, Event 360TRANSCRIPT
More Than A Supply Drive Using Event Fundraising to Put Your Mission Into Action
Kids In Need Foundation Summit | June 24, 2011
Jeff Shuck, President and CEO, Event 360
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Why Am I Here?
OBJECTIVE: Learn how to use event fundraising to connect with your existing and
future donors
OUTCOME: A few good ideas to test when you get back to the office
A case for event fundraising
AGENDA: Understanding where you are and where your supporters are
Putting mission into action
Making action matter
Let’s talk about you.
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This is what you do.
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This is your MISSION.
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How are your donors supporting
you?
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Activity: Who loves you?
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CN Teacher that
received a grant from KINF.
CMO at major sponsor.
“Likes” you on Facebook because she
works for 3M.
Received supplies from KINF in junior high.
Long-time major donor, milestone birthday
approaching.
Board Member, married, 5 school-
aged grandkids.
Former teacher, thinking about
retirement.
Owns a local business, consistent
in-kind supply donor.
New volunteer, stay-at-home Dad.
Putting your mission into action.
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Events are a means to an end.
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Events have the power to
turn this…
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Into this.
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Goal
Vehicle
Tool
Success Factors
Mission
Revenue
Event Fundraising
Effective Ask
Sufficient Audience
Impactful Experience
Robust Support
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Event Affinity Drivers
• I like to walk.
Affinity to an activity
• I’m supporting my school/church/office as a team.
Affinity to a third party group
• I like to spend time with my friends.
Affinity to participants or individuals
• I want to help find a solution.
Affinity to a cause
• I believe in KINF’s work.
Affinity to an organization
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Importance of Case
Need
Impact
Case
• Describe what you do and why it is important
• Define what you are asking for
• Articulate passion and focus
• Relate to your audience
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Activity: Stuck on a plane
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If you do get stuck on a plane, make sure you ASK.
Number one reason people do not give: NO ONE HAS ASKED THEM TO GIVE.
Focus on the two asks of event fundraising:
Ask people to participate.
Participants ask people to give.
The event is a way to start the fundraising conversation.
Make sure to thank the people that say yes. Acknowledge them, make them feel good and like they belong.
Making action matter.
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CN Teacher that
received a grant from KINF.
CMO at major sponsor.
“Likes” you on Facebook because she
works for 3M.
Received supplies from KINF in junior high.
Long-time major donor, milestone birthday
approaching.
Board Member, married, 5 school-
aged grandkids.
Former teacher, thinking about
retirement.
Owns a local business, consistent
in-kind supply donor.
New volunteer, stay-at-home Dad.
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Basic Segmentation
Start with asking why.
Find out what motivates participation and support.
Evaluate gift history.
Consider other basic demographics
Geography (zipcode)
Age (birthdate)
Gender
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I was promised there would be no math.
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Important Topline Metrics
Total revenue, goods donated, participants, and donors
Revenue vs. fundraising revenue
Fundraising revenue per participant
Gift size per donor
Percentages
$0 participants
Goals
Teams
Emails sent
Board and staff involvement
Be aware of average versus median
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Case Study: Komen Global Race for the Cure, Year One
Existing database was inconsistent.
Added a question to registration form: “What is your connection to the cause?”
Focused on building our understanding of who was actually coming and why, instead of deciding we already knew.
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Went beyond the standard split of fundraisers versus non-fundraisers.
Discovered clustering of fundraising around specific levels.
o Allowed for tiered segmentation.
o Tailored communication to each of these segments.
Combined cause connection information with the amount actually raised to create blended messages that spoke to more specific situations.
Don’t forget donors!
Created targeted asks based on the previous year’s average donation (social norms) to encourage donors to give more.
Case Study: Komen Global Race for the Cure
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Final Segmentation
Segment Number Total Contributed
Approach
Attendees 31,902 $0 Education and contact
Beginning fundraisers 11,268 $793,000 Intense encouragement
High performers 2,393 $1,380,000 Affirmation and thanks
Ultra performers 82 $393,000 High personal touch
Team captains 2,000 “Every walker a fundraiser.”
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Online Communication
75 unique messages:
17 recruitment messages
46 fundraising messages
10 general updates
2 donor messages
Yielded over 850,000 e-mail impressions.
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Now what? The cheat sheet to take home.
Your MISSION motivates everything, especially your supporters.
Understand WHY people are supporting KINF’s mission.
Events exist as a MEANS TO AN END.
Build your CASE: Illustrate your NEED and the IMPACT a donation will make.
PERSONALIZE your messages based on what you know about people’s motivations.
YOU MUST ASK.
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Questions?
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CONTACT
Event 360
205 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 2640
Chicago, IL 60601
773.247.5360 | [email protected]
www.event360.com
www.facebook.com/EventFundraising
www.twitter.com/Event360
www.linkedin.com/company/Event-360